Blood Lotus Company
The Blood Lotus Company is a large mercantile guild based out of what was once the Pohakula Military Training Center on the big island of Hawaii. Leading up to the war the training camp was converted into an internment camp for Asian-Americans suspected of being spies, and in fact, any American suspected of being a communist sympathizer. As is the story with much of Pre-War America, most of the people in the Pohakula camp were innocent and simply accused wrongfully of being a Red. Years later those who were left to die in Pohakula have made a killing selling arms, supplies, parts, anything to any and everyone. Description Flying a crimson banner, the Blood Lotus Company is one of the largest guilds in Hawaii. Every war in the wasteland is fought with weapons, and there are only so many Pre-War bullets and guns. That's where the Blood Lotus come in. Using salvaged parts from Pohakula and nearby Hilo, they are able to manufacture arms and armaments to keep Hawaii's factions at war. Fallen Heaven gets an upper hand against the pirates? Lower the prices of weapons for the pirates. Perpetual conflict propagated by greed, the perfect business model for generating massive amounts of wealth. The wasteland corrupts the hearts of men in different ways, and where some see desolation others will see opportunity. Vulture-like as they are, the Blood Lotus do not trade in slaves. For one thing, it's rather difficult to traffic cargo that wants to jump overboard. Morals aren't exactly something Lotus merchants... well have. The deep resentment harbored for the people who put Asian-Americans away so many years ago has bled into the culture and lifestyle of the Blood Lotus company, and they are raised to be cynical and sharp-minded. Operating without morals in such close proximity to a group like Fallen Heaven, however, offers quite a few issues. Seeing as the Burnt Angels run on their deep spirituality and faith in humanity, the Blood Lotus Company view them as an annoyance at best and dangerous guerrilla warfare extremists at worst. The Angels' policies of charity and peace through superior firepower are directly opposed to the Blood Lotus' goals of making as much money off combat as possible. Current State of Affairs Society The structure of Blood Lotus society can be traced back to communist roots spliced with the ideas of the Asian-Americans who were imprisoned in Pohakula wrongly. Class structure is extremely fluid, and the role you are born into does not always stay your role for your entire life. However, most members of The Blood Lotus are born to merchants and become merchants. The whole of their way of life, no matter where they sit on the totem pole, is based on trade. Farmers are free to grow whatever they please and unskilled laborers are free to work wherever they wish, and most importantly, traders are free to deal in anything they want. This is most often weapons, as war is the number one export of the Blood Lotus Company. There is also a rather successful market for Tobacco, as the plant can still grown in Hawaii. The freedom of their economy is offset by the fact that all profits are collected by the internal treasury, and rations are sent back to members of the Company. The internal treasury is something of the central government, controlling the capital the Blood Lotus generates. Using farms and purifiers owned by the treasury, they are able to supply their people with just about enough food, water, and clothing to live semi-comfortably. There is no abundance of farmable land in Hawaii, but being located on the volcanic big island does help a little bit. Treasury owned land is worked mainly by people captured by the Company, raiders who tried hitting supply warehouses or Burnt Angels snooping about. The ruling body of the Blood Lotus Company is the Internal Treasury, a group of six treasurers who control the flow of money and supplies running through the entire society. The current head of the Internal Treasury is a woman named Kido Homura, aged forty-two. She was the child of a previous treasurer and assumed his spot when he passed. Eventually she was voted to stay on as head due to displaying a certain ruthlessness that lies atop a bit of genuine concern for her people. The treasury is basically the center of all trade in the Company, and it took years upon years of trial and error to arrive at the current system of government displayed today. Equipment and Stock The Blood Lotus being mainly mercantile can leave their traders somewhat exposed to Burnt Angel and Tribal raids. To counteract assaults from the denizens of Hawaii, the Company will hire pirates and mercs to act as bodyguards. These bodyguards are supplied with ample resources to keep Company traders safe. These guards are mostly equipped with either old pre-War Type 93 Chinese Assault Rifles, or submachine guns constructed post war from parts scrounged around Pohakula. The base of operations for the Company at Pohakula houses most of their arms and ammo, as well as rations and such. The soil on Hawai'i is still very fertile, being a volcanic island, so their food reserves are grown directly outside the walls of the compound. A healthy stock of Mutfruit and domestic painapples are kept in storage under the yard for emergencies, and whatever the treasury doesn't need to feed it's people is sold off for profit. The most devastating weapon of the Blood Lotus, however, is worn by Head of Security Ho Li Fuk. The Yin Long (or "silver dragon") power armor was cooked up by the R&D team at Pohakula. The base frame is T45d from the hangar that was stripped of all steel plating and re-tuned. For protection, the Yin Long is plated with ballistic ceramic plaques salvaged from derelict pre-war combat armor. The resulting custom power armor is much lighter than standard T45d, and thus offers a great deal more finesse when operating. The reduced weight also means the frame is able to strain itself less on simply supporting the armor. The rest of the Security squad stationed at Pohakula Military Base are clad in similar suits of Yin Long Power Armor. Head officer Ho and his eight security operatives account for the bulk of the Company's power armor. Notable Members Security Head Ho Fuk Security Head Ho Li Fuk is a hardened veteran of Pohakula's security force and its current leader. A boisterous if bloodthirsty personality, Ho Fuk is well-liked by many in the Blood Lotus Company for his gregarious nature, his effectiveness in eliminating the company's enemies, and being more reliable than any mercenary. Ho Fuk is most well-known for acquiring the power armor that the entire security squad of Pohakula now wears. Head Treasurer Kido Homura Head Treasurer Kido Homura is the head of the Internal Treasury, the organization that runs the Blood Lotus Company. She is a member of the merchant class in Pohakula and was raised to be on the Internal Treasury by her father, the previous Head Treasurer. Kido Homura has a certain arrogance about her but is competent enough to back up her own words. Nevertheless, many in the Blood Lotus Company still resent Kido Homura's leadership for her conceit, her lies, and her recent actions in relation to Kim Park. Secondary Treasurer Kim Park Secondary Treasurer Kim Park is the second in command of the Internal Treasury and its most controversial member for a variety of reasons. The youngest member of the Internal Treasury ever, Kim Park is a fifteen year old prodigy who initially was a temporary replacement for an outgoing member. Over the first year she was on the Internal Treasury, Kim Park proved herself to the other members and was allowed to stay on, which outraged many in the Blood Lotus Company who felt entitled to the seat for their years of service. Kim is largely unaware of this controversy due to her social ineptitude and youthful innocence. Shi Lang Shi Lang is a prominent merchant within the Blood Lotus Company who is well-known throughout Hawaii. He and his ship Huánglóng are a common sight in the many ports of Hawaii selling chems and weapons to those who need it. Shi Lang is the epitome of the stereotype many people hold of merchants from the Blood Lotus Company, being both quick-witted and jaundiced. Shi Lang is known for his envious attitude, and he also is constantly worried about his safety. Smokes Smokes Yi Yi Zhi Ruo Zhi Ruo Category:Groups Category:Hawaii Category:Caravan Companies